Getting home help (ayuda a domicilio) from the town hall or privately

Terms used

• Ayuda a domicilio — Ayuda a domicilio is home help: personal care and household tasks provided at your home.
• Empadronamiento — Empadronamiento is your registration at your address in the town hall's padrón, the local residents' register.
• NIE — The NIE is the identity number given to foreigners in Spain.
• Copago — The copago is the part of the cost of a public service that you pay yourself.

Key rules

• No grade needed to ask: You can ask your town hall's social services for home help even without a dependency grade.
• Dependency assessment: Ask for it at the same office, in parallel with the town hall request.
• Co-payment: Your region sets it, based on income and usually assets, and you never pay more than the service costs.
• Private agencies: Get written quotes from several agencies and ask whether VAT applies.

The short answer

You can get home help in two ways: through public services, which cost less but take time and need an assessment, or through a private agency, which is faster and costs the full price. Many people start the public application and hire privately while they wait.

What public home help covers

Public home help is called ayuda a domicilio. It has two parts:

• Personal care: washing, dressing, help getting up and to bed, feeding, getting around and medication reminders.
• Household tasks linked to your needs: cleaning, laundry, shopping and cooking.

Your region may add extras, such as going with you to appointments. Heavy cleaning, care for other people in the household and medical procedures are usually excluded. Each region sets its exact task list, so ask what applies where you live.

How to get it from the town hall

You do not need a dependency grade to ask. Residents registered in the municipality apply through the social services centre of their town hall, by appointment.

1. Book the appointment. Waiting times and forms differ by town.
2. Bring your ID or NIE, your empadronamiento, a medical report and proof of income. The documents list below gives details.
3. A social worker assesses your situation. If you qualify, you get a basic-care service from the town hall, with its own co-payment.

At the same appointment, ask for a dependency assessment. This is a separate request to the regional dependency agency, and it can run in parallel. If you are given a grade, home help is set in your individual care plan, the PIA.

How many hours you get

With a dependency grade, public home help is set per month at 70 to 90 hours for Grade III, 40 to 55 hours for Grade II and 20 to 30 hours for Grade I. Your individual care plan decides the hours you actually get. Only part of those hours can go on household tasks. The town hall's own service without a grade is usually smaller, so ask the social worker what hours are offered.

What you pay

Public home help has a co-payment, called copago. Each region sets it. It is usually based on your income and, in most regions, your assets, plus how many hours you get and what the service costs. Often there is a minimum income that is exempt, and you pay a percentage of the cost above it. You never pay more than the full cost, and a protected minimum income stays with you. Ask the regional social services department for the current formula and for an estimate of what you would pay.

Private agencies

A private agency charges per hour. The price depends on:

• your region and city (Madrid, Barcelona and the Basque Country are at the higher end; inland and southern regions are lower)
• the task, since personal care costs more than cleaning
• evenings, nights and weekends, which cost more than weekdays
• hourly or live-in arrangements

Ask several agencies for written quotes, and check whether VAT or an exemption applies. A private agency can start sooner and is flexible on hours. You pay the whole price, and there is no co-payment scale to reduce it.

Which to choose

If your income is modest or you have a care need that will last, start the public application. If you need help now, hire privately and keep the public application going. The decision block below helps you compare. The checklist gives the steps in order.

Choosing between options

Should you use public home help or a private agency?

• Municipal home help without a grade: You have no recognised grade but need basic care. Apply through your town hall's social services, where a social worker assesses your case.

• Private agency: You need more hours than you are granted, need them sooner, or want weekends or nights. You pay the full hourly price, which is higher for personal care than for cleaning.

Start with the public route through your town hall's social services. Use a private agency to fill any gap in hours or timing, or if you are not granted public help.

Documents you need

• Your ID or NIE (foreigner identity number), as a photo ID for the application.

• Your empadronamiento, the certificate showing you are registered at your address in the town hall's padrón.

• A medical report on your health and care needs.

• Proof of your income, which the co-payment is based on.

Checklist

• Ask for a dependency assessment through the same office, in parallel with the municipal request.

Check the co-payment formula and current private prices with your regional social services and local agencies.

Frequently asked questions

Can I get home help from the town hall without a dependency grade?

Yes, you can ask your town hall's social services for municipal home help even without a recognised dependency grade, but it is a basic-care service with its own co-payment. A social worker assesses your case first. You can also start a dependency assessment through the same office.

What tasks does public home help cover?

Public home help covers personal care, such as washing, dressing, getting up and to bed, feeding and medication reminders, plus household tasks like cleaning, laundry, shopping and cooking. Some regions add accompaniment to appointments. Heavy cleaning, care for other household members and healthcare procedures are usually left out.

How much will I pay towards public home help?

Your co-payment depends on your region, and is based on your income, usually your assets, and the cost and intensity of the service.

What do private agencies charge per hour for home help?

Private agencies charge by the hour, and the price depends on your city, the task and the time of day. Personal care costs more than cleaning, and weekends and nights cost more. Madrid, Barcelona and the Basque Country are higher, while inland and southern regions are cheaper.